There is a need for saving energy especially in machines in automation, for instance in the automobile industry. Machines that are turned on consume energy even when they are not performing any action. The only option the operator of the machine has to reduce energy consumption is to turn the entire machine off or to turn off just the power element of the machine.
Important information can be lost if the entire machine is turned off. This includes in particular information that is stored in volatile memory. Therefore, in order to prevent loss of information, the machine cannot be turned off in every situation. In addition, re-starting the machine can take a very long time and frequently some of the data required for the specific situation are no longer available at the machine. Furthermore, in certain situations turning the machine off can lead to impermissible reactions by the actuators in the machine.